Cotton-picking machine.



J. W. PATTERSON.

COTTON PICKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION men JULY 3:1915.

Patented May 29, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. W. PATTERSON. COTTON PICKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3,1915

Patented my 29, 1217.

4 $HEETSSHEET 2.

. I 22 a W J. W. PATTERSON.

COTTON PICKINQ MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 3.1915.

1 %28,28. Patented May 29, 1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

(June/whom JOEE W. PATTERSON, OF DECATUR, ALABAMA.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 29, 1917.

Application filed July 3, 1915. Serial No. 37,876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. PATTERSON, a citizen ofthe United States, residin at Decatur, in the county of Morgan and S tate ..of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Picking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved cotton pick ing machine of the pneumatic type in which an exhaust current of air is employed for drawing the cotton from the bolls of the growing plants and conveying the'cotton to a suitable receptacle.

One object of the invention is to effect improvements in the construction of the nozzle.

Another object is to provide a milling mechanism in the pneumatic conveying trunk for'separating the dirt and worthless particles from'the cotton before the cotton is deposited in the receptacle.

Another object of the invention is to eifect improvements in the driving mechanism of the machine.

Another object is to provide meters for weighing the cotton as it is picked and to indicate the quantity of cotton picked by the machine from time to time.

With the above and other objects in View the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices herein described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan of the cotton picking machine constructed in accordance with my invention.

' Fig. 2 is partly an elevation and partlya vertical longitudinal sectional. view of the same on the plane indicated by the line aa of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. fl isa rear elevation, partly in section, .of the same.

Fig.5 is a detail vertical longitudinal sectional View, on a larger scale, of one of the nozzles. i

Fig. 6 is a detail transverse sectional view on a plane intersecting one of the discharge arms and disclosing one of the milling wheels.

Fig. 7 is a detail vertical transverse sectional view of one of the intake trunks and showing the meter.

bearings 17 and has a piilley 18. sprocket wheel is connected by a sprocket chain 19 to a sprocket wheel 20 on the shaft Fig. 9 is a detail elevation of the reversmg gear.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a suitable truck or vehicle which is here shown as comprising a framel having a rear axle shaft 2 mounted in fixed bearings 3 and also having a front axle 4 which is pivotally mounted as at 5 so that it may be turned as required to steer and direct the machine. The rear wheels are indicated at 6 and the front wheels at 7. A vertically arranged steering shaft 8 is provided which has a steering wheel 9 at its upper end andis provided at a point below the frame 1 with a suitable drum 10 engaged by a chain or cord 11, the ends of which are attached to the front axle at points near the ends thereof. Hence by turning the shaft 8 appropriately the machine may be guided at will, as will be understood. The rear axle is provided with a gear 12. This gear is engaged by a worm 13 near the lower end of a vertical shaft 14. This shaft ismounted in suitable bearings and is provided at its upper end with a friction disk 15. A horizontally arranged shaft 16 is also provided which is mounted in Sillifitblfi his 21 of a suitable internal combustion engine or other motor 22 which is mounted on the frame. Hence said sprocket wheel shaft is driven by said motor. A friction wheel 23 is splined or otherwise mounted on the shaft 16 for rotation therewith and for longitudin'al movement thereon. This friction wheel engages the upper face of the friction disk 15 and may be shifted on said disk by means of a suitable lever 24 todrive the machine either ahead or back as may be desired.

A longitudinally arranged pneumatic conveyer trunk 25 is also provided which is arranged and mounted on the frame 1 and dischargesthrough an elbow 25 at its rear end into the casing 26 of a rotary fan 27. A pair of discharge arms 28 lead rearw'ardly from the fan casing and are each provided with a down turned discharge arm 29. Said. discharge arms are arranged to discharge into baskets or other suitable receptacles 30 which are placed on a suitable step or platform 31 at the rear end of the frame. Each discharge arm has an opening 32 its rear side near its upper end and a screen 33 extending across said opening In each discharge arm and in front of its screen a mili wheei 3% which is provided. with ob-- liquely arranged fans or arm's 35 which caiise said rciil. wheels to be revolved by the blast of air from the fan The front end of the pneumatic trunk 25 is connected to the center of a transversely arranged trunk arm 88 which is composed of a suitable number of separable sections. The said transversely arranged trunk arm is provided on the upper side with a suitable strengthening truss 37 member of the trunk arm 36- is provided on its front side with an elbow 38. A fiexible intake tube 39 is provided for each elbow and has its rear end connected thereto, each intake tube being provided with a pair of flexible intake arms i0 each of which has an intake nozzle ll at its front end. -Attendants Walk between the rows of plants and in front of the machine and manually grasp and manipulate the nozzles so as to apply the nozzles to the cotton bolls while passing the same and hence causing the exhaust current of air created by the fan to suck the cotton from the bolls and carry the cotton rearwardly through the intake tubes 39, the pneumatic trunk 25 and the fan casing, so that the cotton is carried rearwardly from the fan casing by the air blast through the arms 28 and 29 and delivered to'the receptacles 30. The mill wheels 35 are rotated by the air blast and the cotton which is thrown by the air blast against the mill wheels is thoroughly stirred and shaken by the mill Wheels so that the dust and worthless particles are separated from the cotton by the action of the mill wheels and blown rear wardly through the screens 33, the clean cotton droppin through the arms Q9 into the receptacles 30, as will be understood.

Each nozzle 41 is provided with a casing 4:2 which extends to one side thereof and a revoluble motor fan 43 is mounted in said.

casing and one side of said fan extends across the bore of the nozzle. Hence said motor fans are revolved by the currents of air drawn in through the nozzles together with thecotton from the bolls. Each nozzle also has a longitudinally arranged spear Each sectional or stirrer 43 which projects forwardly therefrom and is suitably geared ta, and re volved by the fan motor. These spears or stirrers serve to open unopened cotton bolls and loosen up the fibers therein and hence cause said cotton to be caught by the suction draft and to be taken in through the nozzles.

In each elbow 38 is a revoluble meter device 45 which is revolved by the cotton passing through said elbow and is connected by a train of gears 46 to the arbor 47 of an indicating hand 48 which operates on a dial 49 and hence serves to indicate the quantity,

in weight, of the picked cotton that has passed through the elbow. Hence by'noting the meters the quantity of cotton picked can be ascertained-at any time by the driver of the machine who is stationed on the top thereof and who operates the steering wheel and the shifting lever.

' Having thus described my invention 1 claim 1. In a! pneumatic cotton picking machine, a pneumatic trunk, an intake tube dis charging into the trunk, a nozzle at the front end of saidintake tube and a boll. opening device carried by and projecting in front of said nozzle and consisting of a revoluble spear having aconical head, and a fan motor geared to said spear, said motor being mounted in a casing on one side of the nozzle and extending across .and arranged with its upper side in the throat of the nozzle and thereby adapted to be revplved by the air drawn in through the nozz e.

2. Ina pneumatic cotton picking machine a pneumatic trunk, an intake tube discharging into the trunk, a nozzle at the front end of said intake tube, and a boll opening device carried by and projecting in front of said nozzle and consisting of a revoluble spear havinga conical enlarged head arranged in front of the nozzle, and means to revolv said spear.

In t stimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN w. rarrnnsonl 

